The Last Silver Thread
by heartacheinn
Summary: They say before we die, our lives flash before us. But it is not our lives we remember, but a moment that defines us.  That haunts us. That changes us. One last silver thread. An exploration into the final thoughts of characters we know and love.
1. Remus Lupin

Remus dueled against Dolohov, twisting out of harm's way and firing back hexes and jinxes. The Death Eater's face was contorted in glee, and around him, screams and jets of flashing lights filled the night. Remus narrowly dodged a killing curse and slashed his wand, forcing Dolohov to duck for cover as rubble rained down on his head.

His heart thrummed in his ears. With every beat, their names echoed in his mind. Dora. Teddy. He was exhausted, battle-weary, weak, but continued to fight, if only for them. He would fight forever if it meant making this world a safer place. Instead of despairing in the battle, he thought of the way Teddy smiled at him, at the way Dora said his name…

"Remus!" Her voice was so real that he applauded his imagination. But he saw a flash of pink from the corner of his eye, and turned to see her running towards him, her beautiful face twisted in anguish. He froze. He should be furious, or at least angry. What would happen to Teddy if they both died? But instead, joy filled his veins, sending his nerves singing. She was here. Her mere precsence healed the ache in his chest.

"Remus!" Her mouth opened in horror, and he turned in time to see a jet of glowing green light speeding towards him. He looked down, uncomprehending, as it entered his body, directly below his heart.

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><p>"Dora?" He turned over sleepily, patting the empty space in the bed where his wife should have been. She was gone, but lingering traces of heat were still warm in the tangle of sheets. He smiled into his pillow, knowing automatically where she would be. After several attempts, he finally rolled out of bed and his feet sought the firmness of the floor. Yawning hugely, he groped for his wand on the bedside table and padded out of the dark room, walking down the hallway to where he knew she would be.<p>

The door to the nursery was ajar, and he leaned against the wooden doorframe, drinking in the sight in front of him. She was wearing only a baggy old shirt of his, cradling Teddy in her arms. She stood in front of the window, silhouetted by a weak grey sky, not yet touched by the sun. Sheer love was seared onto her face as she murmured to Teddy in a low voice, crooning nonsense words into his ear.

Remus smiled to himself. He had never imagined Dora to be so devoted a mother, but then again, he never, in his wildest dreams, imagined himself with a wife and child. He stood there for a long time as the morning brightened, watching the woman who had brought so much light into his life. She held Teddy up in the air, nuzzling his nose until he gurgled out a laugh, hair turning from sandy brown to bright turquoise. Dora laughed, and Remus chuckled, and she turned towards him and beamed. As he strode forwards to take them both into his arms, the sun finally burst free from the horizon, but it couldn't ever match the light he found in her eyes.

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><p>And then, there was no darkness.<p>

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><p>AN: Hey guys! So this is the beginning of a long fic that's been a while in the making. It began when I began wondering what exactly Snape was thinking as he looked into Harry's eyes during the last moments of his life, and pretty much snowballed from there. If you have any requests or suggestions I'd love to hear them. Reviewers get a good morning kiss from a sleepy Remus! (Come on people. It's _Remus._)

~Astra


	2. Colin Creevey

Colin dodged a keening jet of red light and turned to watch it shatter a window instead. The grounds of Hogwarts were filled with screams and flashing lights. The night was dark and terrible, and he felt himself growing infinitely weary as time progressed. He could see it all around, the way the battle carved lines into all their faces. Even the youngest, Colin reflected, were becoming ancient.

A loud voice shook him out of his temporary reverie. "Creevy!" He turned to see a burly man fighting his way towards him

"You know who I am?" Even in the midst of battle, he was thrilled that Oliver Wood, former Quidditch Captain and current Puddlemere United Keeper, knew his name.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Oliver roared, sending a jinx into the fray and ignoring Colin's question. "Aren't you underage?"

Colin's confidence faltered. He had sent Dennis away, but he _had_ to fight. For his father. "Yes, but –"

He was cut off as an explosion sent debris whistling over their heads. Wood scowled, but Alicia Spinnet battling a Death Eater had diverted his attention.

"Just stay by me," he growled out, and Colin ran with him, elated. Oliver immediately slashed his wand and the masked figure crumpled to the ground. Alicia turned, her eyes grateful, before a curse sent her body flying. Colin forced the intruders back and Oliver dragged her body to safety, before hurrying to Colin's side. The night was infinite, Colin thought wearily, wondering if it would ever end. A terrified scream sounded behind him, and he turned, his wand raised.

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><p>The forest floor was mottled with shadows that gently danced as a cool wind ruffled the resplendent plumage of the autumn trees. The ground was cushioned with layers upon layers of golden leaves, and a late afternoon sun lengthened the shadows that were etched upon the ground. However, Colin was barely aware of this beauty, focusing instead on a small figure that he had pinned to the ground.<p>

"Colin! Stop it!" Dennis pleaded from beneath his brother. He squirmed spastically, attempting to free himself. He managed to twist away and scrabbled with his brother until he was pinned again, both of them sinking into the piled leaves.

Colin laughed. "I'm not actually hurting you." He clambered off of his brother and waiting for Dennis to stand up before pouncing on him again.

Dennis shrieked. "Stop it or I'll tell Mummy!"

"Mummy's at the grocery, stupid," Colin said, but released his brother anyways. Dennis scowled as he got up, rubbing his wrists. He stuck his tongue out at Colin, who laughed. Yes, maybe he was a bit scrawny and skinny compared to the boys at school, but he could always beat Dennis in anything.

Colin plopped down on a cushiony pile of leaves and his brother nestled into the base of a tree trunk across from him. For a few long moments, they were silent, choosing to simply enjoy the feeling of crisp fall air on their flushed skin.

This forest, on the outskirts of their land, was their secret place. It was the place where he and his brother hid when Mummy wanted to give them medicine, or when he didn't want to take a bath. It was the magic grove where they could fight dragons and evil men and battle their way to a sure victory. It was the place where their grass-stained trousers became swirling robes and their grubby sweaters became velvet capes.

Colin blinked, startled by the acorn that Dennis had thrown at him. He looked over to see his brother still pouting and grinned.

Dennis saw his smile and frowned, his forehead crinkling. "I wish I were bigger than you. I'd crush you like a giant!" Dennis stretched out his arms and took a few lumbering steps to demonstrate. He turned towards Colin. "See?"

Colin laughed and jumped on top of his brother. The two grubby boys wrestled with each other on the golden leaf-strewn ground.

"You'll always be smaller than me." He ducked a wild punch and tackled his brother to the ground. "I'll always be bigger than you."

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><p>And then, he was tiny in death.<p>

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><p><strong>AN:** Hey guys! Colin's death made me really sad. Harry never saw his as more than "that little kid" but I feel like he must have grown up a lot during his 6th year. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Fall is coming where I live, and that's where I drew a lot of the imagery. I'd like to thank Lela-of-Bast for a review that made my day. You rock! Reviewers really mean the world to me...and if that isn't enough, I offer virtual invisible cookies. :)

~Astra


	3. Walburga Black

**A/N:** Walburga is the mother of Sirius and Regulus Black.

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><p>Walburga lay on her deathbed, rasping for breath in her elaborate room. Fever raged in every part of her body, and she moaned in delirium, pain encompassing her senses. It had all come to nothing, hadn't it? Cygnus had long since passed away, Regulus had died far too soon, and Sirius – she cut herself of, refusing to finish the thought. She would die without a husband to mourn her, no sons to bear her coffin, no family to pass on her memory. All she had now was a sniveling house elf crouched by her bed.<p>

Her thoughts swirled and scattered as she tried to recall reality in vain. Faces danced and flashed in her mind before fading away, mocking her. Dark hair, wide eyes. An all too familiar face. "Regulus," she groaned, tears seeping from her eyes for her lost son. Another face flickered to life. Dark hair, an arrogant smile, fathomless eyes. "Regulus?" But this time, it was a question, and she knew in her heart the answer.

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><p>Walburga marched out of their vacation home, her crimson dress a bright stain on the softly blossoming spring landscape. The boys were <em>nowhere<em> to be found and it was just a mere _hour_ before her sister arrived. They would get the scolding of their lives when she found them. She disdainfully stepped over a puddle, lifting both the heavy silk of her gown and her nose even higher in the air. Scanning the garden, she cursed her sons under her breath. She had just given up when she heard Regulus's high squeal. She rounded the corner of the house, a scowl easily rising to her features.

Sirius and Regulus crouched on the muddy ground where soft fronds of new grass poked out of the earth. She felt a jolt of disgust when she saw that the focus of their attention was a large, brown, and slimy creature. Her elder son had a long stick in his hands and was poking the creature carefully. Regulus shrieked again as Sirius jabbed the creature more vigorously, and it moved.

"Sirius! Stop it!" he cried plaintively, his grey eyes large and round in his small face.

"It won't hurt you," Sirius said patiently, poking it again. He laughed as it spurted mud into the air and Regulus squealed, half in fear and half in delight.

All of the biting words Rubella had prepared had somehow frozen in her mouth. For the first time, she held her sharp tongue and watched her boys play in the dirt. The ebony black of their hair gleamed as it flopped into their eyes. Their faces were washed in sunlight; their gently rounded limbs marking them as children. They laughed, their eyes light and free with the innocence of youth.

She was the first to admit that she had never loved her children like a mother should. When a bawling Sirius was placed in her arms for the first time, she had looked down wearily and wondered when he would stop crying. They were burdens, inconveniences to her life. But now, for the first time, she saw something different.

They were still playing happily, blissfully unaware of her waiting presence and the demands of their society. As she watched them, an indescribable ache welled up from some forgotten part of her heart. Affection, maybe? Love, even?

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><p>And then, she stopped feeling.<p>

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><p><strong>AN:** What did you guys think? A little different from Lupin and Colin, yes? This fic isn't just going to explore the deaths in the Battle of Hogwarts, but the deaths of characters in general, like Rose Weasley (Ron and Hermione's daughter) or George Weasley. But that doesn't mean to say that I'll neglect the others! In fact, Fred, Bellatrix, and Snape are all drafted as of now.

On a different note, I enjoyed writing Sirius and Regulus here. I based their behavior off of my little 6 and 4 year old neighbors who actually moved from England last year. Their white blonde hair, big blue eyes, and English accents make them absolutely _adorable_. I can't count the number of times I've gone out to get the mail and seen this exact scene in their yard.

I'll wrap this up by thanking SexciiLexi and eDiNbUrgh for reviewing. You guys are amazing. :) Reviewers get their very own English accent (Believe me. I'd buy one if I could.)

~Astra


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